Multiple still.



B. THOENS & S. S. SHEARS.

MULTIPLE STILL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8, 1910.

1,069,829, Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

B. THOENS & S. S. SHEARS.-

MULTIPLE STILL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8, 1910.

Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

IA/ VE IV TORS WITNESSES.

BURCHARD THOENS AND SUMNER S. SHEAR/S, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MULTIPLE STILL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lateiitcd Aug. 12,1913.

Application filed July 8, 1910. Serial No. 570,927.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BURCHARD THOENS, a subject of the Emperor ofGermany, resident ofthe city, county, and State of New York, and SUMNERS. SHEARs, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city,county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Multiple Stills, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to multiple water stills and has for its objectto provide a still of such class in a manner as hereinafter set forthwhereby the rapid and economical production of distilled water will beobtained.

A further object of the invention is to provide a multiple water stillin a manner as hereinafter set forth in which the water is boiled andevaporated in several compartments or receptacles, which are kept atdifferent degrees of vacuum thereby maintaining the water in thecompartments at different boiling points, the compartments being so setup with respect to each other that the vapor from each precedingcompartment is utilized for boiling or vaporizing the liquid of eachsucceeding compartment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a water still of theclass referred to in a manner as hereinafter set forth and including aplurality of compartments fed from a common sourceand with the productdischarged from each compartment.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a multiple water stillwhich is comparatively simple in its construction and arrangement,strong, durable, eflicient in its use, economical in its work, readilyset up and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists ofthe novel construction, combination and arrangement .of parts ashereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein is Shown the preferred embodiment of theinvention but it is to be understood that changes, variations andmodifications can be resorted to which come within the scope ofthe claimhereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote correspondingparts throughout the several views: Figure 1 is a vertical sectionalviewthrough the center Referring to the drawings in detail, -a-

denotes vertically-disposed shell constitutmg a casing formed of aplurallty of sections, as shown three in number and 1nd1- cated by thereference characters a, a c p The number of sections of the casing canbe increased if desired, depending upon the number of heating drumsemployed; said drums will be hereinafter referred to. Interposed betweenthe sections a a is a plate a, which in connection with the section aforms a compartment 7) and in this instance constitutes the top of thecompartment b-. The plate a is secured in position by the angle irons awhich are connected to the periphery of the sections (2 a. Inte'rposedbetween the sections a a is a. platezo which in connection with thesection a and plate 0; forms a compartment Z/, the plate a forming thebottom'of said compartment 1) and the plate a the top of thecompartment. The plate a is secured in position by the angle irons awhich are secured to the sections a, o The plate a inconnection with thesection a forms a compartment b 'which is opened at its top. Thecompartment bis closed by a plate a which is secured in position by theangle irons a. fixed to the section a and to a supportb for the casing.

Arranged within the com 6 are the heating drums c, 0', 0 respectively,to the heads of-each of which are secured the pipes -d' The drum c issupported within the compartment bby a vertically-disposed pipee-whicheX- tends through the lower head of the drum 0 and opens into theinterior of the drum -0- The pipe e is provided with a flange 0 uponwhich is supported the partinents b, b, l

drum -cand said pipe e is further L more provided with a flange c whichis seated upon the upper facelof the plate a The pipe e projects throughthe plate a and has its lower end contracted with which engages asteamsupply pipe f for connecting therewith an airsupply pipe-g provided witha valve -g. The compartment b is adapted to contain a body of water asindicated at g and the heating vdrum o' is submerged in-the'liquid.Sup-' ported from the inner end of the pipe e within the drum cby thesupports a is a deflector e for the incoming steam.

Connected to the upper head of the drum '0- and communicating with theinterior of said drum and projecting through the section a is a pipewhich is connected to a head pipe 2' communicating with a vacuum pump(no-t shown) for creating a head of the drum .c and opening into theinterior of the drum c is a vertically-disposed pipe -e' which is ofreater diameter than-the pipe e and W ieh is provided with aflange s forsupporting the drum c. The pipe e is furthermore provided with a flanges mounted upon the upper face of the plate a*. The pipe --e' extendsthrough the plate a*- and is open at each end and has the lower portionthereof arranged within the upper part ofthe compartment -Z). The lowerend of the pipe -e has suspended therefrom through the medium of thehangers s a. collecting tray -hwhichis of such diameter as to surroundthe lower end of the pipe e and has its bottom, formed with a pluralityof openings h. Supported upon the inner end of the pipe e' through themedium of the arms s is a deflector -s With-' in the compartment --b isarranged a body of liquid g in which is submerged the heating drum c'.Connected to the upper head of the drum -cand opening into said drum andfurthermore extending through the compartment b' and through the sectiona"' is a "pipe i which connects with the pipe 'z' whereby a vacuum canbe created in the drum 0. Extending through the platea and through thelower .end of the drum 0 and opening into said drum is a drain pipe -lwhich extends through the section. a? and opens into the storage tank inwhich the pipe Z opens. The pipe -Z- is utilized for draining off theproducts of condensation from the drum 0'.

Arranged within'the compartment is the heating drum c provided withvertically-disposed pipes d secured to the heads of the drum. Extendingthrough the lower head of the drum 0 is a pipe 6 which is open at itsupper and lower ends and is providec with a flange -ofor supthrough themedium of the hangers b a tray 7L which is of greater diameter than thepipe 0 and surrounds the lower end thereof and is provided with a seriesof openings h. Supported upon the upper end of the pipe 6 within thedrum. '0

through the medium of the arms 11* is a deflector o Communicating withthe drum 0 through the upper head thereof. is a pipe- 2' which opensinto'the pipe 2' whereby a vacuum can be created in the drum c Extendingthrough the plate a and through the lower head of the drum 0 and openinginto said drum is a drain pipe -Z for the products of condensation andwhich opens into the storage tank with which com-- municate the pipes 'Zand Z. Within the compartment 6? is 'a body of water 9 in which issubmerged the drum 0 5 The drum 0 is utilized for boiling or evaporatingthe water '9 and the drum 0 is utilized for boiling or evaporating thewater 9. The pipe 6' establishes communication between the upper portionof the compartment Z) and the heating drum 0' whereby the vapor will beconducted from the compartment -".-b into the drum 0 and utilized forheating the water within the compartment -b+ and the pipe 6 establishescommunication between the upper portion of the compartment 1) and theheating drum 0 whereby the vapors in the compartment 7) are conducted tothe drum 0 for heating the water --g*. The trays h and 71 allow for anyliquid carried along with the Vapors to drain back into the compartments6, b.

The pipes 1 i -'i and z' in connection with the vacuum pump (not shown)are as'before stated employed to create a vacuum inside of the heatingdrums; the different degrees of vacua are regulating valves -j and gages7:-. As before stated, the pipes Z, -"Z- and Z are employed for drainingthe products of condensation from the drums, 0, 0, 0 into a storage tank(not shown) and the lower ends of the pipes are adapted to be submergedor water-sealed, The length of the pipes Z-, Z, Z must be somewhatgreater than the barometric column of water which is 34 ft.

Water is supplied to the compartment b pre-determinedand controlled bymeans of through the medium of a supply pipe m-- provided with a cut-offvalve m and overflows from the compartment 6 through the pipe n. thelatter opening into the compartment b the amount of water supplied beingregulated by the temperature thereoi, which is indicated by thethermometer 0'- mounted upon the pipe n The overflow pipe nhascommunicating therewith a down-flow pipe p provided with branch pipes p,72 which are controlled by the valves 32 and 79 and which open into thecompartments 1), b respectively. The water within the compartment Z), Z)is maintained at a certain height, which can be observed by the glassesQ., or can be regulated automatically, by a float valve if desired. Forcleaning or washing out the several compartments the pipe mis providedwith avalved draw-oif pipe connection 7', the pipe 7) with the draw-oftvalve pipe connection 0* and the pipe 7 with the draW-ofi' valve pipeconnection r The operation of the still is as follows: The valveconnections 1*, r, r being closed,

Water is supplied to the pipe m into the open compartment 6 andoverflows through the pipe 'n, and pipe connections p,

'p, p into'the compartments 6 7), these latter being filled to therequired height, the

height of the water being in said compartment controlled by the valves72 p. Steam is then introduced through the pipe f into'the pipe e andpasses into the interior of the drum c; this heats and vapo-rizes thebody of water g in which the drum 0 is submerged. The steam withinthe-drum cis condensed and flows out as Water through the pipeL- intothe storage tank. Should the steam be of high temperature and smellingsomewhat badly, air is introduced through the pipe g to overcome suchobjection. The vacuum pump is now started withdrawing any air ornoncondensable vapors from the heating drums. Preferably there ismaintained in the drum 0 a 26 inches vacuum with a boiling point ofwater at 126 F.; in drum '0- 17.5 vacuum with a boiling point of waterat 169 F. and atmospheric pressure in the drum c-- with a boiling pointat 212 F The vapor rising from the water evaporated in the compartment Zenters drum 0 bypassing over the edge of the tray 72, and into the piper, where it heats and evaporates the water in compartment 1) and thevapor rising. from the water evaporated in the compartment 6' passesover the edge of the tray h into the pipe 6 whence it is discharged intothe drum 0 The vathe drum thereabove is compelled to change itsdirection twice owing to the arrangement of the trays and the deflectorsand therefore will drop any water carried along therewith, the waterfalling in thetrays and draining back into the compartments through theperforated bottoms of the trays. Should it be desired to admit air intothe compartments 5 and 5, air supply pipes may be employed or a supplyof air can be obtained by slightly opening the valves 1-, r and allowingsome air to leak por entering from one compartment into I into thecompartments up through the water whereby it is aerated.

What we'claim is:

' A multiple water still comprising a pluralit-y of closed compartmentssurmounted by an open compartment and each adapted to contain a bodyofwaterwith the level of the water below the top of the compartment, aclosed heating drum suspended in each of the compartments and submergedin the water within the compartment, pipes extending upwardly andopening into the drums and projecting through the bottoms of thecompartments, said pipes having the lower end open and increaslng indiameter from the lower to the upper compartment, a collecting trayarranged above the water level in each lower compartment for the pipe ofthe compartment next above, certain of said pipes depending in the upperportions of the lower compartments and connected to and suspending saidtrays, the lowermost of said pipes communicating with a steam supply,independent drain pipes for withdrawing the products ot-condensation'from each ofsaid drums, an air exhaust pipe common to all of said drumsand adapted to communicate with a vacuum pump, and a pipe connectionbetween, said exhaust pipe and each of said drums.

Signed at New York city in the county and State of New York this 18thday of June A. D. 1910.

BURGHARD THOENS. SUMNER s. SHEAR-S;

Witnesses:

EDGAR M. GREENBAUM, CHARLES V. DWYER.

